Crowell said he stays in touch with Wright and that Wright, a key member of Auburn’s team that lost, 34-31, in the BCS Championship Game to FSU in January, told him he was the best back in the draft. Mason, a Heisman finalist the Tigers rode to 12 wins and an SEC title, might have a thing or two to say about that. He broke Bo Jackson's single-season rushing record with 1,816 yards and 23 TDs last season.

Mason is considered one of the draft's top running backs; Crowell still has plenty of question marks.

Crowell definitely left Carver with prospects of being the top back when he left for the NFL. But his road to the draft hasn’t been what he or anyone else expected.

He moved on to Alabama State and ran for 842 yards and 15 scores in 2012 and improved to 1,121 yards and 15 more TDs in 2013.

On Friday, he checked in at 5-11 and a stout 224 pounds.

He says he’s matured since the trouble he ran into at Georgia. He has a son now and that has taken priority.

“I feel like I still have a lot to prove,” Crowell said. “Even though I was SEC freshman of the year, I still wasn’t playing at that school for three straight years. I played against lower competition so I feel like I still have a lot to prove.”